I haven’t had the chance to travel overseas in recent years, and I find myself yearning for those adventures. My last European escapade was in celebration of my 40th birthday back in 2019. To quench my wanderlust, I’ve discovered a delightful way to bring a touch of Europe into my own kitchen—cookbooks. These culinary treasures allow me to immerse myself in the flavors and cultures of different countries, right from the comfort of my home. Even while traveling, you can never sample all the exquisite dishes a destination has to offer, so why not recreate them in your kitchen? Here are five cookbooks that can keep you cooking up Europe in your own…

Leaving home for college can be stressful for both the students and the parents. There are so many things you have to pack and do just to be ready. One of the most overlooked is thinking about what cooking skills the students have. A lot of college students now have kitchens and are not reliant on the meal plans for their daily meals.  My love of cookbooks began while I was in college, even though I had a lot of baking experience I had very little cooking experience before college. I remember using cookbooks to help me figure out what to make and how to make the dishes. Wonder what are the best…

Summer is a great time to try new recipes as most of us have a lot less of a rigid schedule than in the school year. Searching for the best recipes for the perfect summer dishes is one of my favorite things to do. The bountiful summer produce season can inspire so many fresh seasonal dishes. Check out the list below of 5 cookbooks for the perfect summer dishes to help you make the most of these long summer days.  1. Drinking French: The Iconic Cocktails, Apéritifs, and Café Traditions of France, with 160 Recipes I love to have a fresh cocktail to go with a delicious summer dish. Drinking French: The Iconic…

We have all been there where we open a new cookbook we bought and realize it is way above our skill level. Do we return the cookbook or give it a shot? Well, it depends on how comfortable you are with risk. For rookie cooks I would recommend starting with a simpler cookbook that can utilize the skills you have while improving on them. As we know it can be disheartening to spend them to make a delicious meal and the recipe fails, it still happens to me sometimes. When you are a rookie cook this can be so discouraging, so I suggest you start with one of the 5 cookbooks for rookie…

Growing up I was a picky eater which is funny to look back on since I now love most foods, there are a few I still avoid such as liver. Kids can be really tough to please with food and not all are adventurous eaters. One of the best ways I have seen my family and friends get their kids to eat different things is to include them in the cooking and baking. Below are five cookbooks that your kids will love (and adults too), plus a lot of the recipes in these cookbooks are easy enough that your kids can cook with you. Hope these help you please your picky eaters.  1.…

It’s not a surprise that I love to cook. I enjoy making complicated dishes but my favorite things to make are quick and easy dishes that are tasty and filling. Finding the best quick and easy recipes isn’t as easy as one would hope for. To help you out I’ve put together a list of five quick & easy cookbooks that will take the guess work out of the search for you. Enjoy! 1. Come On Over Family meals and get togethers can always seem like a lot of work for the food. However, the cookbook Come On Over, offers great recipes for both and they are all easy recipes. I love the…

Spring time is here and I am so happy for the warm weather! Once the days start getting longer and brighter I start to crave healthier and lighter foods. I still want delicious dishes but I don’t find myself making as many comfort foods in the spring, instead I love to focus on full flavored healthier meals. Below you will find three cookbooks that I love for those healthier meal that do not sacrifice taste.  1. More plants on your plate I fell in love with this cookbook the moment that I tried it. The recipes are very easy to follow and the meals are delicious. As the farmers market start to open…

I love food and don’t believe in having off limits food or recipes, however, I do try to follow the 80/20 rule. What’s that? Eat healthier meals 80% of the time and 20% of the time have whatever you want.    For me I have found this works well and I never really feel deprived of anything I love. That being said I am always searching for great healthy recipes that don’t sacrifice the taste in order to be healthy. Below you will find my 3 favorite healthy cookbooks that help me eat better. All of them offer easy to follow, delicious recipes that your whole family will love.  1. The Healthy Swaps…

Every year I try to start the new year with having a few more smoothies and healthier meals to counteract everything I have devoured over the Christmas holidays. I don’t really diet much but I do like to follow the 80/20 rule and have found smoothies to be a great way to stick to it.  There are so many smoothie cookbooks out now that it can be a little overwhelming. Below are my top three that I am always reaching for and that I love.  1. The Body Reset Diet Cookbook About five years ago I stumbled on The Body Reset Diet book and tried it. I had great success with it and…

Magazines aren’t as common as they used to be, but I still love them. Over the years I have found recipes and tips and tricks in magazines that I haven’t seen anywhere else before. My Favorite baking magazine is Bake From Scratch. I love the layout and content offered in the magazine. The recipes are inspiring and make me want to try things I would normally be scared of. One of my favorite issues was the Irish issue this past year, unfortunately, I lost all of my past issues in the fire.  Bake From Scratch offers recipes from so many different contributors you are always able to find something you will love in…